Sleeping Blondie
by NakanoHana
Summary: An irritable young actor tries to keep his sanity, as his friends plot to get him out of the closet. Axel's just along for the ride. akuroku, fluffy silliness. r&r


This story contains: occasional swearing, cross-dressing, sexual confusion (not content), goofy-corny-ness, and a bit of inner monologuing. Hope you guys enjoy ^w^ 4/9/11

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><p>Roxas glowered at his reflection in the mirror, hoping that maybe, if he stared hard enough, he could scare it away. Why was he agreeing to do this again?<p>

"Oh, Roxas, stop sulking! You look fine!"

The boy turned his head slightly to look at the redheaded girl working beside him. She was redoing a few loose stitches and fixing his "outfit."

"I feel ridiculous, Kairi! Couldn't you get someone else to fill this role? Like, oh I don't know, a girl!" He flung his arm down to indicate the, in his opinion, _hideous _princess dress he was being forced to wear. It was rather simple, which he was secretly thankful for, but the fact that it was in fact a _dress _forever doomed it in his mind to be a hideous, girlie monstrosity.

Kairi frowned and shoved his am back up. "Hold still, would you? You're going to rip out the seam I just put in. And if you do, so help me Roxas, I'll start jabbing you with this needle on purpose!"

The sulking blonde complied, grumbling to himself as he did so, and the girl continued, her voice kinder this time. "Roxas, we've been over this. You're almost exactly Namine's size and, no offense, but you're the wimpiest, girliest boy I know next to Sora. You're perfect for this!"

Roxas grumbled again at the comment about his height. Their school was putting on a rendition of Sleeping Beauty, following closer to the disney storyline than the original fairytale. At first, his twin sister Namine had been chosen to play Princess Aurora, but a small accident during one of the rehearsals had ended up with Namine spraining her ankle, putting her out of commission for the rest of the play. A couple of girls had fought for the role at first, but Namine insisted that it be given to Roxas. And, weird enough as that might have seemed, Marluxia, their theatre teacher, actually agreed with her!

_God only knows why..._

"I'm a _boy_, Kairi! Couldn't you find someone else to play this role?"

"Nope," she answered curtly. It was clear she was getting pretty tired of the boy's whining. Roxas had a bit of a reputation for being a prude _and _a drama queen, much to the contrast of his proclaimed manliness. Sure, Sora was always super hyper and childish, but between the two, the one who reminded Kairi most of a girl was Roxas. And not really a good, sensible girl either.

"Namine insisted the role fall to you. And she's Mar's little prodigy, so it's a safe bet he's not going to change his mind any time soon."

What was a bit surprising was that _Roxas_ had actually caved. That was a mystery to everyone at the school, except to a few of the twin's closest friends. But the truth was that, despite his prudishness, Roxas could be really sweet and caring. He loved his sister and did whatever he could to make her happy. All her clumsiness aside, Namine had been born frail and sickly, and that had carried on throughout her life. Having been born the stronger, healthier of the pair, Roxas blamed himself for her condition, and so he never passed up an opportunity to make her smile.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Namine knew this and took advantage of it quite often. She was really quite the conniving little witch sometimes, Kairi knew all too well; they were partners in crime frequently, coming up with torments for her uptight big brother. All harmless pranks, of course, but very entertaining.

Roxas sighed heavily, looking up to see his reflection again. The dress was a soft, light blue, matching his eyes rather well. The white collar was low on his neck, exposing his pale collar bone prominently just a bit above the padding over his chest. His hair was combed, if only slightly; it still stuck up in places, but more strands of blonde were hanging down on his neck now. He shuddered at what he would look like with make up on, after all this was put together. He'd never be able to look at himself in the mirror again without remembering the overwhelming shame and embarrassment.

The boy lowered his head tiredly. "So, it's just this dress rehearsal, and then the shows Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night?"

"You got it." Kairi had moved down to the hem of the dress, but she smiled up at him briefly. "You look fine. Just remember your lines and don't gag on them. The sign of a great actor is a man who isn't above playing any role. He can play any role you ask him to, and play them well."

Roxas rolled his eyes at that. He wasn't even all that sure how far his acting career could go after high school.

Then, with a snarky, evil grin, she added, "Be sure to give us all a nice little kissy scene with Axel."

The blonde's eyes flew wide, shooting his friend a look of shock and partial disgust.

"Wait, you mean I really have to kiss him? I thought that-"

"It's part of the play, Roxas," Kairi said, smacking her forehead lightly in annoyance. "Sleeping Beauty? True Love's Kiss? Axel's playing the prince, so he's going to kiss you."

"But I...No! I never agreed to this!" He threw his arms wide as he yelled. Axel was the school's bisexual heartthrob, a boy so self-assured and snobby that he had all the girls and even some of the guys at school going after him. He was an open flirt and even somewhat of a bully. He had teased and practically bullied Roxas numerous times in elementary school, and the blonde still held a deep grudge against hims. Roxas was not looking forward to acting alongside him on stage, but kissing him? He couldn't do that! He wasn't gay!

"You just _now_ realized you have to kiss him?" Kairi asked incredulously. She stood up quickly and smacked _his _forehead this time. "Roxas! We need you to play this part! Opening night is tomorrow! You can't chicken out on this just because Axel's gonna give you one little peck on the lips!"

"Kairi, I'm _not _kissing him! No way in hell!" The boy crossed his arms and frowned at her determinedly. This was one position he wasn't going to budge on so easily.

The redhead glared him down firmly for a minute or so, then seemed to think better of it. An evil little smirk crossed her lips, making the boy across from her raise an eyebrow. She knew exactly what buttons to push to force him into this.

"Do you want me to get Namine in here? You could explain to _her _why you don't want to do this, but it's gonna break her poor little heart..."

Roxas stood his ground for only a minute more, weighing his options. They didn't look too good; he didn't want to make his sister cry. Damn girls!

"Fine." He practically snared the answer, stomping over to the door that led to the stage. He let it slam closed behind him, as he went off to face his fate and get it over with. Kairi giggled evilly to herself. She had no qualms about torturing the boy at all.

"You're right, Namine. He really needs to lighten up."

They both knew Roxas was in denial of something very important; that was why Namine had taken the fall in the first place. That, and torturing her brother with forced cross-dressing was just too good to pass up.

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"Alright, let's try the scene _again. _Take it from the top."

Roxas rolled his eyes and lay back down on the bed. This was humiliating on so many levels. Never mind that he had to act graceful and feminine and pretend to be a princess, but he was expected to just accept that fact that Axel was going to kiss him!

"And Roxas, _please please _stop being so stiff. You're sleeping, not dead..." After a brief pause, he added testily, "That goes for your acting too."

The blonde stuck his tongue out at Marluxia the second he turned away, earning a giggle from his sister. She'd come to watch the dress rehearsal from the sidelines and helped by giving directions to the stage crew. As the actors scurried about, the scene began again; Roxas could hear the people speaking over him.

"She sleeps so deeply. Is she dead?"

"No, my prince. She only sleeps until her true love comes to bestow his loving kiss upon her."

Roxas resisted the urge to gag. Who came up with this corny dialogue anyway?

He felt a cool hand cup his cheek, his insides instantly squirming in protest.

"I'll wake her."

He felt a shadow looming over him, drawing slowly closer.

_Oh god. This is it..._

Just when he began to feel foreign breath on his face, Roxas's arms shot up of their own accord, shoving with a force he barely knew he had. He registered a small gust of air and breath released in surprise, and creaked his eyes open, instantly looking up and meeting surprised green a good distance away.

"Cut! CUT!" Several students audibly groaned as Marluxia stomped back onto the stage, marching straight over to the bed as Roxas sat up.

"What is your problem, Roxas?" the man whined, his voice cracking slightly on the highest note. Roxas winced briefly, choosing soon after to glare instead as the pink-haired man continued his rant. "Why can't you just let him kiss you and move on? The scene lasts barely a minute, and yet you're holding up this entire production because of it!"

"I don't _want _to kiss him!" the blonde hissed back, pointing to the redhead nearby who was rolling his eyes. "Can't we use a stunt double, or something like that?"

"Stunt double?" Very quickly, Axel managed to strut over to Marluxia's side and fold his arms, looking down at the blonde with half incredulousness, half interest. "Come on now, Roxie, I'm not _that _bad a kisser."

The look Roxas shot him was murderous. "Don't call me Roxie! And that's not the issue here! I wouldn't kiss you if you were the last person on earth!"

The blonde flinched as something light came down and smacked him on the head. "Hey!" He looked up to see Marluxia smacking a copy of the script rolled up against his hand. "What was that for?"

"Stop being such a little prima donna. You agreed to take this role, and I expect you to take it seriously. I won't force you to do it now, since you insist on making such a fuss about it. But you'd better be ready to suck it up and kiss him for the next three nights." With that, the man turned and walked away, yelling for people and crew members to get back in place. Roxas's face flamed as he heard sniggering and whispering around the room. Everyone was making fun of him, but he couldn't just let this go. He hated Axel.

"You don't have to be nervous, Blondie." The boy turned his head quickly to glower at Axel. The redhead just kept smirking that annoying smirk. "I'd never be rough on such a fair, delicate maiden."

"Piss off!"

"Okay, people!" Marluxia suddenly called out above the rising murmurs. "Let's take it again, this time from the battle with Maleficent! Larxene, get your lazy butt over here! Axel!"

The redhead flashed Roxas a debonair smile, ignoring his responding scowl.

"Duty calls, _Princess. _I must be off. But never fear! I will return for you!"

Then, with a large, sweeping bow, Axel left him. Roxas willed away his angry flush, crossing his arms but not immediately going to lie down again. In the real play, he would, of course, be pretending to sleep through all of this, but for now, he was going to sit and mope and Marluxia was just going to have to deal with that!

_Why do I have to kiss that asshole? _He growled softly, his eyes drifting over to where his hated enemy was taking position, standing opposite Larxene in her black, purple, and green costume. _It'd be one thing if I was the prince, and maybe Kairi as the princess. _Kissing Namine would have been gross, and kissing Larxene...well, that was something no sensible guy would ever look forward to. There was a good reason Marluxia chose her to play the witch...

"You should stop acting like a baby, Roxas."

The blonde almost jumped out of his skin at the unexpected voice, but as he turned to look behind him, he saw saw Sora pulling back the side bed curtains. The brunette was dressed up as King Stephen, Aurora's father. Roxas thought it was a strange choice, though, because Sora didn't look any older than him. Riku, who was playing King Hubert, looked like he could pass as someone older, though when compared to Axel, they looked about the same in age as well. But the main difference to Roxas was that the other boys were actually _enjoying _their roles in the play. He most certainly was _not._

The blonde pouted. "I don't see how it's any of your business."

Sora rolled his eyes and leaned his elbows on the headrest, giving his friend a small smile.

"How do you know you'll hate it until you've tried?" he offered, wincing slightly as Roxas turned and glared.

"I'm not gay, okay?" he yelled back, a little louder than he'd meant to. A few people on stage not focusing on the dialogue looked over at him curiously, and he blushed, speaking more softly this time. "Even if I was, there's no way in hell I'd give my first kiss to Axel."

"This is your first?" Sora looked genuinely surprised by that little tibit, his eyebrows raising just slightly. "Really?"

"Y-Yeah." The blonde looked down at his hands as they clenched and unclenched in his lap. He wasn't so much embarrassed by the fact alone, but he could feel from how people talked about him that they would assume he'd never kissed anyone before. The words,"He really needs to get laid," came to mind in particular; he had actually first been told that by Axel. "I just haven't found the right person, okay?"

"You don't need to be embarrassed about that," Sora chuckled, though, honestly, that wasn't helping much at the moment. "This doesn't mean anything. It's not like he's gonna go all tongue on you."

"Sora!" Again, he'd raised his voice a bit, causing a few people to look over and whisper. Axel even paused a moment in the middle of stabbing Larxene, but quickly turned back to his part. Roxas gave his friend an exasperated look.

"Really, Sora, just because you and Riku are open about that sort of stuff! I don't even want to imagine that jerk's tongue in my mouth!" Roxas shivered violently, moving his hands as if he were brushing away some imaginary filth. "He'd probably do that too! Just to bug me!"

The brunette chuckled again, ruffling Roxas's hair slightly. "I think you find it isn't so bad. Just let him kiss you and get it over with. For all out sakes." As much as he cared about his friend, this play was important to all of them, and they were all going to do their best to make sure it was the best it could be.

Roxas gave a small huff, looking away guiltily. He tried to focus on something else, his eyes eventually falling on Axel, as the redhead stood over the vanquished dragon-witch. He was smirking that obnoxious smirk of his again, and it only looked more brilliant now, as the glaring lights above the stage bore down on him. His red hair was gleaming like wild fire; the boy could see why Marluxia had told him that he didn't have to put on a crown for this performance. His hair was so spiky and wild it couldn't be tamed; it would be his crown all on its own.

Roxas shook his head, willing that corny thought away. He really didn't like this, but everyone else was counting on him. And maybe Sora was right in a way. It was just one little peck; it wasn't like Axel could just make out with him on stage. There'd be kids watching.

All that aside, Namine was counting on him. Roxas looked out past the stage at her. Even through the glare of the light, he could just barely make her pale blonde hair and pretty blue eyes. He was even sure he could feel her stare.

Sighing, the boy waved Sora away and laid back down on the bed, closing his eyes. He just couldn't let her down.

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The first night was pretty hectic at the start. People were lining up to buy the four dollar ticket outside the door, while all the actors were running back and forth back stage. Girls squealed at each other, calling their friends over to help them with their hair and make up. On the boy's side, everyone was squeezing into tights and tunics and jostling each other in the process.

In the stars' dressing room, Roxas was grudgingly let Namine comb his hair. His first costume was a simple peasant's dress, whereas Axel would wear his outfit for the entire play. Stupid jerk...

"You'll do great tonight. I know it."

The blonde boy sighed heavily, turning so that he could look at his sister. She smiled at him so sweetly it almost made him feel a bit sick.

"Why did you make me do this, Nami? I'd have been happy with any other part in this play."

The girl just shrugged lightly, standing up shakily and setting down the comb. She waited patiently as Roxas went and retrieved her crutches, and took them with that same smile as ever.

"This is good for you, Rox. Trust me, you'll see."

The boy huffed faintly in reply, only halting his sulking when the door opened and Axel stepped in. He was already dressed and ready to go, his hair still wild and crazy like always. Some make up had been applied to hide the tattoos on his cheeks, and despite his still present dislike for the older boy, Roxas had to admit he looked good. He certainly made for a unique-looking prince...

"Ah, good. I see you're dressed and ready."

Roxas raised an eyebrow, seeing Namine slipping out the door quietly out of the corner of his eye. "Duh. Why wouldn't I be?"

"No need to get hostile there." Axel stepped closer to him and frowned slightly, looking like he was scrutinizing. "You need to fix the left side of your hair."

"Why?" Roxas instantly felt that side, turning to the mirror. "What's wrong with it? Namine brushed it for me."

"Here. It's in the back. I'll get it." Axel stepped over to the counter and picked up the previously discarded comb, pushing Roxas down onto the stool as he moved behind him. The blonde stuttered a little nervously.

"I-It's fine! I'll do it!" He reached up for the comb, but the redhead held it up just out of reach. Damn him for being so tall!

"Nah-ah. I want to do it. Now hold still." Ignoring any further protests, he began lightly combing through the boy's soft blonde hair.

Roxas felt confused. Axel _wanted _to fix his hair? Why? Was he trying to pull a prank or something?

But no. Several minutes passed and Axel said nothing, did nothing that Roxas could feel other than touch his hair. The redhead wasn't teasing him like he had expected; wasn't even really making _any_conversation. He simply stood behind the awkward blonde, humming softly as he ran the comb through Roxas's soft, blonde locks.

Roxas was squirming a little inside, resisting the urge to shift in his seat. He thought Axel would at least have _something _to say to him, like, "Don't screw up tonight, twerp," or something along those lines. That would have been the norm. It'd been a few years since he'd done anything really mean-spirited, but he usually liked to pester Roxas a little at least. This strange quiet was bothering the boy. He didn't know whether or not to be suspicious...

"You nervous about tonight?"

The question caught him off guard, and Roxas visibly jumped a little, as the words almost seemed like they'd been spoken right in his ear. Axel chuckled softly.

"Is that a yes?"

Roxas shot him a weak glare. He really wasn't in the mood to fight.

"I...I guess." He looked back down at his lap and let loose a heavy sigh. "It's always a little scary the first night...for me at least."

"Relax. You'll do fine." Roxas blinked at that. For once, Axel's words weren't mean or teasing. They were...kind. "Just don't go stiff on me in the lovey dovey scenes."

The blonde snorted. "Oh boy, thanks for reminding me. I'm never going to keep a straight face through all that."

"It's not that hard." Suddenly, Roxas felt himself pulled out of his chair and set on his feet facing Axel. He gasped softly, looking up into sparkling green eyes, as Axel set down the comb and place a hand on his shoulder. "Just let it be natural. If you have to, imagine yourself in her place."

Roxas snorted again. "Great. That I'll _really _take seriously."

"You know what I'm getting at."

Then the hand on his shoulder slowly slid up, over his neck, until it came to rest on his cheek. The boy's eyes widened considerably then, looking up at Axel in a mix of confusion and horror. But before he could voice those thoughts, Axel continued.

"Let yourself feel it. You have to try and experience it yourself to act it out." And with that, he brought his lips to Roxas's quickly, his hand moving in small circles soothingly on his cheek.

The blonde's first reaction was to recoil, but he couldn't pull away. He voiced his displeasure, muffled though it was by Axel's lips over his own, and pushed against the redhead's chest. But nothing was getting the older boy off of him.

_What the hell is he doing? _Roxas thought frantically, as Axel's unoccupied hand slid around to the small of his back, pressing the smaller boy closer. _Oh god, why won't he stop?_

But the combination of those soft lips touching his, and the feel of those gentle, caressing hands, Roxas began to feel himself giving in. The feel of the older boy over him, dominating him, made his heart speed up in a way he didn't expect. Part of it was fear, and yet there was something else there along with it...

Very hesitantly, the blonde opened his mouth, wondering whether or not it was a good idea. Would Axel take advantage of that? But then again, he hadn't just forced is tongue in or anything. It wasn't like he was flat-out raping him or anything...

Roxas gasped as he felt the soft, foreign tongue enter his mouth.

_What am I doing? Why am I just-_

"Roxas?"

A soft knock at the door broke the boys apart, each of them gasping softly where they stood. Neither one moved or spoke up to answer the knock; the two just stared at each other, Roxas's eyes filled with confusion and slight fear, while Axel's gaze was soft and even somewhat heated.

"Uh, Roxas? Axel?" The voice outside sounded nervous. Roxas began to fear that Sora could hear them panting for breath. "Are you too okay?"

"We're fine." Axel's response was a little curt, but it was much calmer than anything Roxas could have managed. "Is it almost time to go on?"

"Yep. I came to get you two. Curtain rises in ten minutes."

"Thanks. We'll be out in a second."

After waiting a moment to make sure Sora had really left, Axel took a step closer. Roxas immediately stepped back, his eyes wide and fearful, but his back hit the wall with just a few more short steps. He was so confused; where had that come from just now? Was this just Axel teasing him again?

The redhead suddenly flashed him a smile. That familiar, trademark smirk; the one that meant trouble for anyone it was aimed at.

"Now our little kiss on stage shouldn't bug you too much." With that, and a quick wave, the redhead was out the door and down the hall before Roxas could even say a word.

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_"Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom, there lived a kind king and his beloved queen. For years they had longed for a child, and finally their wish was granted."_

Roxas vaguely listened to the prologue; his cue to go in wouldn't come for another fifteen to twenty minutes. He kept thinking back to the kiss he and Axel had shared alone in the dressing room. How was he supposed to feel about that? And what did it mean? He hated Axel!

Gaze still distracted, he looked out through the side curtain and into the stage. He knew his little sister was out there, along with his mother and father and a good number of his peers. The entire school practically, and they would all see him kiss Axel.

_Oh god...I can't. I can't do it._

His face flamed. How could he kiss Axel _again_?

"Roxas. Hey, Roxas, wake up. You're on soon."

He turned to see Axel standing beside him. And barely contained a small scream.

"Whoa. Calm down there, Blondie. Just making sure you don't miss your cue." And he was grinning that same stupid grin again. The one that made Roxas want to punch him square in the jaw.

"Thanks." He whispered back tersely, glad that the shadows of back stage were hiding his blush.

_Now just go away..._

"No problem, kid. Just stay sharp."

But he didn't leave. As Roxas watched Sora and the others move on stage, even when Larxene first made her dramatic appearance, Axel didn't leave his side. He didn't say anything more, but still, the blonde was painfully aware of him. He was standing way too close for the smaller boy's liking.

"Don't you have anything else to do?" Roxas finally muttered, annoyed. Didn't Axel have to enter from the other side of the stage?

The redhead shrugged. "I figured I'd stay here and hand with you for a while."

_Oh, lucky me! _Roxas thought bitterly.

"Do you need something? Because I'm trying to watch the play here."

"We both know that's not true."

The blonde whipped around, about to ask him what the hell he meant by that, but Axel was already walking away.

_Why the hell does he keep doing that? _What was with the crypticness?

It felt like he stared at that empty space beside him forever before one of the stage hands tapped him on the shoulder.

"Go on, Roxas. You're on."

_"The princess Aurora was raised by the fairies in that cottage in the woods. Living like mortals, they reared the child as their own, and called her Briar Rose."_

_Here goes nothing...Kill me..._

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Roxas forced a sweet smile onto his face as he walked to and fro across the stage, in between the prop trees and bushes. At least Marluxia had written in that he didn't have to sing...

"Oh my." He leaned down by one of the bushes, plucking one of its fake little blue flowers.

"What beautiful flowers. I simply must take them home to my aunts."

Inside, the boy was gagging. He sounded so girly, it was painful!It was taking everything he had not to go completely rigid and vomit.

And then Axel came out onto the stage.

_"Little did Rose know that she was about to meet destiny in the forest that day..."_

Roxas scoffed internally, listening as Axel's soft footsteps drew closer. The sound crew then created a cracking sound, like the sound you might make if you stepped on a branch and broke it in half.

The blonde whipped around to face Axel.

"Oh!" he cried, feeling a bit of real fear as the older boy came closer. "I-I'm sorry. I-"

Axel caught his hand before he could run away. "Please forgive me. I didn't mean to frighten you. I am but a humble traveler passing through these woods, and I couldn't help but notice that you're out here all alone. Do you live here?"

Again, Roxas felt that vile feeling rising in the pit of his stomach. His parents would be laughing at him for weeks after this. Still, he played his part as best he could, nervously lowering his eyes as he turned back to Axel.

"I..I shouldn't. I'm not supposed to speak to strangers."

The redhead lifted his hand and brushed his lips delicately over the knuckles.

"You needn't be afraid, fair maiden. My only wish is to serve you. If you are indeed lost, it would be my greatest pleasure to see you safely home." Axel sank to his knees before him, giving him that aggravating smirk.

_Damn him..._

"I-I live here. I was just out p-picking flowers."

Roxas smacked himself internally. He couldn't let that infuriating boy get to him! The blonde moved to take a step back then, but then, to his horror, he stumbled, about to tumble back onto the floor.

In a flash, Axel was standing again. He used the hand he was holding to stop Roxas from falling back, pulling the boy flush against his chest. As the blonde's eyes opened slowly, his face practically burned red when he noticed his predicament. Leaning heavily on Axel's chest. Pressed up against him. You get the idea.

"Are you alright?" the redhead asked, looking worriedly at him. Roxas could see something more to that worry in his eyes, but he was too busy being flustered and pushing desperately away.

"I-I'm fine! Fine! Thank you!"

Good to know he was starting out fine...

The rest of Roxas's parts were relatively uneventful. He said his lines to a t, except for maybe one or two bits. Whatever. Marluxia wouldn't kill him.

But he _did _spend a lot of time thinking about Axel, which annoyed him greatly. As he lay stretched upon the bed with his eyes closed, waiting for the dreaded moment when Axel would come to kiss him again, Roxas couldn't help but think about those lips on his. They had been gentler than he'd thought, much softer too. True, Axel had kissed him without warning or consent, but he went slowly and didn't make a move to do anything beyond kissing. Though it was pretty heated...

The boy could feel his face heating up again. What the hell was that? He thought he'd be so angry about losing his first kiss to an asshole like that, but surprisingly he didn't mind so much. Could that mean he...?"

No! It couldn't be! He couldn't fall for Axel! He worked out the reasons in his head as he waited.

First of all, he wasn't gay. Second of all, Axel Flurry was a dick, and that was all he'd ever been. Third...third...?

And then he heard something above him.

"She sleeps so deeply. Is she dead?"

Oh god, it was coming! The kiss! He didn't know if he could deal with it a second time! His resolve was weakening!

"No, my prince. She only sleeps until her true love comes to bestow his loving kiss upon her."

That cool hand was back on his cheek, fingers brushing gently against the skin. He remembered that same hand on his face earlier. It had felt...nice...

"I'll wake her." He then felt Axel's warm breath on his face again, drawing closer until it was focused only on his lips.

_Oh no..._

Then...the lightest contact. A slight brush against his lips, but nothing more, and it lingered for only ten seconds that he counted. Then Axel pulled away again, and Roxas just barely managed to stifle a whine. Wait...what?

His eyes fluttered open slowly, and he saw the "prince" kneeling above him, a gentle, relieved smile gracing his lips. Roxas forced himself to smile back slowly, before sitting up and wrapping his arms around the redhead's neck. The script had been changed earlier, at the blonde's own request, so that he and Axel would simply hug at the end of the play. That and nothing else. Now his gut was compelling him to do something dumb and crazy, something that would no doubt have Namine, Sora, Riku, and Kairi laughing at him for weeks. He knew that, but...

Without too much more thought on the subject, Roxas pulled the redhead down closer to him, pressing their lips together forcefully. He felt more than heard Axel's gasp against his lips, but he ignored it, slowly but surely getting lost in that feeling again. It made him feel warm somehow, as well as a few other things that he couldn't describe. And as much as he had claimed to hate Axel before, it just felt so right to him. He'd have to figure this all out later...after the play...

The music ended, and the lights dimmed, as all noise on the stage was consumed by thundering applause. Roxas let go slowly, letting Axel pull up and away on his own, and for a moment, the two just stared at one another. Then, a wide, devious smirk spread across Axel's lips, which he then _licked _right in front of the blushing blonde.

"Well...that certainly was unexpected." Roxas looked away from him, turning his eyes to the back wall. He could see people flooding the stage out of the corner of his eye, but his mind's eye was dominated by that idiotic, cocky, smirking redhead.

"That was great, Roxas!" Kairi and Sora raced over and grabbed the stunned blonde's hands, pulling him up onto his feet beside the bed. "Listen! They loved it!"

"Everyone get out here and take a bow!"

He numbly followed as the two pulled him back toward the stage, as Axel followed behind them, chuckling. Roxas knew his face was going to be as red as a tomato when the lights came back on full blast.

At the center of the stage, Axel stepped forward and took his hand. Out in the crowd, the boy could see his family moving to the front row, clapping and cheering as he stepped into the light. Over the roar of the crowd, he swore he could hear Namine, as she waved her arms.

"Just remember, big brother; I knew it before _you_ did!"

The two stepped out in front of the rest of the actors, bowing together in perfect time.

"Love you, Roxie."

Roxas paused at the low point of his bow, casting a quick, side glance at his costar. Their eyes met for only a moment before he scoffed, looking away.

"Asshole."


End file.
